Ⓒ AFP – Josep LAGO – | Catalan President Carles Puigdemont sings the Catalan anthem after a parliamentary session and the vote of the Catalan Parliament for Independence on 27 October 2017 in Barcelona

The separatist Carles Puigdemont, dismissed by Madrid from the presidency of Catalonia, called on Saturday to “democratically oppose the application of Article 155” of the Spanish Constitution triggered to put the region under guardianship.

“We will continue to work to build a free country,” he added during a televised speech. The written version of the speech circulated in parallel is signed “Carles Puigdemont, President of the Generalitat (Government) of Catalonia”.